College Track

Debbra Lindo. With a strong background in educational leadership and organizational change management, Debbra Lindo leads efforts aimed at increasing opportunities for high school students from under-resourced communities. She assumed the role of CEO/Chief Academic Officer at College Track in 2006 after serving on the College Track board for four years. College Track currently serves more than 300 high school students and… See full bio.

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Story: This is Brianna’s story about her experience with College Track. She’s a student at University of California in Santa Cruz. Laurene and Carlos came to a football game and we sat on the grass when they asked us if we wanted to go to college. We all said sure but had no idea how to do that. They said they were starting a new afterschool program called College Track. They were surprised that we had no idea about SAT, PSAT, how to sign up for testing, or what A – G requirements were. My mother just told me to take the most challenging work load but we did not know how to get into advanced classes. Our interest was piqued and we signed up. Marshall talked about visiting colleges and helping us find money to go to college. At that time, my family did not know the difference between a state school and a UC or what a FAFSA was about. Carlos helped me with a four year plan, something my counselor never talked about because I was not considered college material. When Carlos broke it down for me year by year, it looked possible. College Track pulled us out of a dense fog and made preparing for college visibly within reach. I was in the first class of College Track students to take AP US History. I remember the first day when the teacher looked at us and said 30% of us were not going to be here in a few weeks. We all failed our first test just as he predicted. We felt defeated but College Track pulled us together and told us we represented something bigger than ourselves and we had to succeed, to beat the odds for all our little brothers and sisters. We felt empowered as a family with a mission. Then CT hired a special history tutor with a PhD. He taught us how to take notes, how to outline a chapter and how to quiz each other. He had us believe that we were prepared, skilled and smart. Our grades gradually improved and we all finished. We broke ground and defied the stereotype that students of color did not belong. Now I see that 80% of today’s College Track students are enrolled in AP or honors classes. It took ten years to do this. It is amazing that I have returned full circle to youth programs like College Track, making a difference and impacting our future. I have worked with Gear Up, Cosmos, and now with Migrant Youth in the Sequoia School District. It is my way of giving back; it is the most fulfilling career path I could ever imagine. My long term goal is to come back to College Track to change lives the way Laurene, Marshall, Mary, Lisa and Carlos changed mine. (Source: http://www.collegetrack.org/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=17&Itemid=860)

Evidence of Impact Summary:

College Track provides sustained support to low-income and first generation students over the course of eight years, from the summer before high school through college graduation. 90% of their high school graduates are admitted to a four-year college and of the 277 students College Track has sent to college, 75% are still pursuing or have earned a college degree.
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Organization Strengths Summary:

Experts consistently cite College Track's leadership as differentiating advantage. Further, they broadly praise the organization's program design in terms of academic rigor, tracking, and continuous improvement. Some respondents note a strong growth model and a robust partnership strategy.
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Areas for Improvement Summary:

Experts caution that College Track should seek a more lean operating model and to be less-reliant on a few major funders. Others suggest the organization collaborate with similar groups to enhance impact. One expert felt the motivation requirements mean College Track isn't necessarily serving the most at-risk students.
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With a strong background in educational leadership and organizational change management, Debbra Lindo leads efforts aimed at increasing opportunities for high school students from under-resourced communities. She assumed the role of CEO/Chief Academic Officer at College Track in 2006 after serving on the College Track board for four years. College Track currently serves more than 300 high school students and over 200 college students at centers in East Palo Alto, Oakland, and San Francisco and is developing new partnerships to increase College Track's reach locally and nationally.

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